HMS Hood was a modified Royal Sovereign-class pre-dreadnought battleship built for the Royal Navy in the early 1890s. She differed from the other ships of the class in that she had cylindrical gun turrets instead of barbettes and a lower freeboard. She served most of her active career in the Mediterranean Sea, where her low freeboard was less of a disadvantage. The ship was placed in reserve in 1907 and later became the receiving ship at Queenstown, Ireland. Hood was used in the development of anti-torpedo bulges in 1913 and was scuttled in late 1914 to act as a blockship across the southern entrance of Portland Harbour after the start of World War I.
Hood in the 1890s
The forward 13.5-inch (343-mm) gun turret on Hood
Hood in 1901
The outline of the wreck of Hood can be seen between the breakwaters of Portland Harbour.
Royal Sovereign-class battleship
The Royal Sovereign class was a group of eight pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Royal Navy in the 1890s. The ships spent their careers in the Mediterranean, Home and Channel Fleets, sometimes as flagships, although several were mobilised for service with the Flying Squadron in 1896 when tensions with the German Empire were high following the Jameson Raid in South Africa. Three ships were assigned to the International Squadron formed when Greek Christians rebelled against the Ottoman Empire's rule in Crete in 1897–1898.
The high-freeboard Royal Sovereign underway in a moderate sea
Right elevation, deck plan and hull section as depicted in Brassey's Naval Annual 1906
The low-freeboard Hood equipped with turrets
The barbette-equipped Empress of India